Murray’s Last Option…

Last night Ducks fans were treated to a game managed by a coach v. a putz with a playbook. One team that wanted to win at any cost v. a team willing to win only if certain terms and conditions were met. That’s about all that need be said about the turkey slaughtered by the Chicago Blackhawks in Anaheim yesterday.

It was the sixth consecutive loss suffered by dwindling numbers of Ducks fans and Jonas Hiller. If you happen to notice anyone else who appears to be effected by six straight losses please let me know.We have barely passed the quarter pole on this season and already our Ducks seem to have exhausted all the usual remedies to no avail. The GM stormed into the room, did his best Yosemite Sam rant and stormed out. The coach has held everyone but himself accountable. We’ve seen a bag skate, days off, bonding day, excuses that have included blaming everything from the schedule makers to injuries to retirements to conspiracy theories and parity. Even a few players have been sent packing. All to no avail.

The only option left is to replace the coach.

Murray can and probably will hold out hope that help is on the way. Teemu’s injury should be temporary. Flash takes very good of himself. Lupul is on a conditioning assignment. When those guys get back our Ducks will finally have six legitimate top six forwards.

The return of Selanne and Lupul should create some help. Even the third and fourth lines will improve. A little help and a weak Eastern Conference should be enough to keep this group flirting around with .500. It isn’t enough to get this team back into playoff contention.

A coaching change isn’t eminent but probably can’t be far off. Randy Carlyle has a month at best. The only question remaining is will it become before or after Christmas.

There was a day in SoCal when guys like Bob Murray and Randy Carlyle could sell the idea that mediocrity was good and good was actually great. People here actually believed that Marcel Dionne was a great hockey player. Look how many still believe that a guy like Ilya Kovalchuk was the final piece.

Actually Kovy might have been the final piece. Not as many think, the final piece needed to win a Cup though. Rather, the final piece AEG believed it needs to finally sell that turkey of a franchise to a new sucker.

SoCal is no longer the same market as it was even five years ago. Today’s Ducks fan knows what a Stanley Cup team looks like. This is now a market that is producing world-class hockey players drafted in the first round by NHL hockey teams.

The Burke management group, Bob Murray and Randy Carlyle promised Ducks fans a perennially Cup contending hockey team. for two consecutive season it has failed to deliver.

Murray can of course reshuffle the deck chairs while the flagship of an otherwise sound organization flounders and takes on water. Nobody is going to trade him a #1 D-man.

About the best we can expect is a Lupul for Bieksa type deal. The kind of trade that weakens one area to strengthen another. Except that we’ve already seen Murray try that one. It brought Lupul back.

Your done Bob. You’re out of options. It’s time Yosemite Sam pointed his six guns at Elmer Fudd and blazed away.

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After a week-long vacation (I missed a lot of hockey), I am back, more disappointed than before. I was hoping for the big news – a coaching change. Not yet -but maybe soon. Tippett is now doing well, after a difficult start of the season. Babcock even better (I respect that man).
We know that sometimes big names do not guarantee good results.
To borrow a quote from Shakespeare: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

I can tolerate losses, I understand that the Cup doesn’t come every season, but I hate apathy, laziness, dissent within the group, and miserable management. I do not consider myself to be well informed, but I have heard and read enough that I believe that there is a major problem in the locker room. Players were traded, there were threats, yelling, intimidation, arguments with the management etc. Where is the end of it?

Welcome back cz. Seems like five minutes ago you posted about a Sharks – Kings game. Speaking of, the now 9th place out of the playoffs losers of 3 straight Kings. Sure hope we send them home cryyyyying Monday night.

Maybe I’ll jump on some Kings boards and have some fun today. Get warmed up for the game tomorrow night.